Monfils on Comeback Trail With Opening Round Win at Heineken Open
January 8, 2013 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg
French wild card Gael Monfils was made to work hard for his opening win at the Heineken Open in Auckland, New Zealand with a win over German Benjamin Becker 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 52 minutes. Monfils fired 19 aces and saved eight of the nine break points he faced, as he recorded his fourth win in four meetings with the 31-year-old Becker. Monfils advances next to face Australian qualifier Greg Jones
"For me the most important thing tomorrow is to be hard physically," said Monfils. "I know I can be alright on one match but then the day after I’m tired and it’s very hard for me to be 100 percent, so tomorrow I think that will be the key."
Monfils has fallen to 99th in the Emirates ATP Rankings after being hampered by a knee injury in 2012, limiting him to just 10 tournaments.
"I missed a lot of tennis, but I’m improving and I need more matches to be on my top form," said Monfils. "It’s a new year, a new challenge. I think if I still believe in myself I’ll be back soon enough at the top. I talk a lot about that with my parents and they tell me it is ok to start again; I want to make it again."
